


Simplicity

by Detoxfire



Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: @bungie make them gay, M/M, bless you and your shaxx, for tumblr user lordshaxx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-11-03 18:23:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10972833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Detoxfire/pseuds/Detoxfire
Summary: The idea of love was once an unsightly vision, yet here they are.





	Simplicity

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for the tumblr user lordshaxx! I've been following them pretty much ever since the Destiny roleplay fandom appeared and I love how much they've done with Shaxx in the past couple of years!
> 
> Recently (like, yesterday), they announced that their main!verse would have an established relationship with a Shiro-4 and... I think that's the cutest thing ever...
> 
> Also, this person is super smart or, at least, really fucking clever because they apparently managed to figure out Shaxx's height based on existing numbers of Raze-lighter's measurements and a screenshot of Shaxx? If you haven't seen it/don't follow lordshaxx, the gist is that he's technically 9'6". Shaxx, we get the fact that you're tall but I think this is a little overkill.

To say that Lord Shaxx Forge is tall is a massive understatement. Unsettlingly massive seems more accurate.

In general, Guardians tend to appear larger than some of their mortal counterparts but that's thanks to their armor in most cases. However, in Shaxx's case, he is simply  _that_ gigantic.

Couple that with the fact that the Titan makes himself almost completely unapproachable and the man can part entire seas simply by existing near them.

Shiro-4 sees the opposite of that.

Of course, Shiro once saw Shaxx as everyone else saw him. Intimidating, loud, angry. But something between then and now has Shiro enjoying what he's been given.

Shaxx doesn't loom over him. Nor does he glare or avoid or brush off. He always seems to seek out the Hunter, reveling in his company.

It starts off simple. Saladin lets Shaxx come back to the Iron Temple, come back home. It's strange, seeing such vibrant colors in such a dreary area - Shiro had wondered if that's what he looked like to everyone else. He wouldn't have been surprised.

Shaxx approached him eventually, mainly inquiring about scouting missives in the area. Usually, Shiro would hesitate about giving out such missions to anyone but other Hunters (where the hell had he heard about them anyways? These missions aren't exactly  _public_ ) yet he had heard of the giant Titan's innate talent with the Void and uncanny ability around a blade. The Exo sends him away with a good luck chasing after him.

Three days later, Shaxx returns no worse for wear and with more information than Shiro can dream of ever obtaining in the field. Not only Fallen patrol patterns but also specific quirks of each member of every patrol. Location of potential resources for the outlying villages (he had given the closest one in the next missive sector over some game, a report admits) as well as admittance to an old ghost town he claims to have remembered found during his days with Saladin. Safehouses, long since decrepit and collapsing but potential wells of information.

The man knows the surrounding forests and lands like the back of his hand despite having been absent for so many centuries.

Shaxx is home.

Shiro compliments him months after Shaxx forms a routine balancing his Crucible duties and what little extra time he has outside Tower duties.

It's while Shiro hands him a missive to go help with scouting efforts in the Plaguelands that the Hunter notices Shaxx has his helmet off for the first time.

The air crystalizes with every puff he exhales, freckled nose scrunching slightly when it ascends to the gloomy sky. Deep reddish-brown eyes blink owlishly to the clouded sunlight, squinting somewhat, focused on the data-slate. A bright white corkscrew of hair falls in his face when he shifts to look back at Shiro, stark against his incredibly dark skin as his gaze turns inquisitive, a silent question.

Shiro says absolutely nothing related to Shaxx's question, "You know, when the Traveler made you, I think it was showing off."

The deep wine eyes widen slightly in surprise, cheeks growing darker as he presses his lips into a thin line and Shiro's vocalizer lights up with a small chuckle.

"I better... um..." is all the Titan mutters before slipping his helmet on and rushing toward the bridge across the Peak.

He returns with other scouts a week later, waiting at the back of the throng surrounding Shiro so that by the time he reaches the Exo, it's just the two of them standing at the edge together.

"You know," Shiro begins in a playful tone, "most people don't cut and run after someone gives them a compliment."

"Are you saying that you want to go on a date," the towering Titan deadpans, the first sentence he's spoken to Shiro outside of their established work partnership.

"Well," the Hunter shrugs as he takes the neat stack of slates, "I wouldn't say  _no_."

Shaxx is silent for the remainder of the exchange, ponderous. He leaves with a quiet hum that rumbles in Shiro's chest.

A few hours later, his Ghost delivers him a message, sent from a familiar pink Ghost.

_'Movies at my place when you're finished? - SF'_

Shiro's plating lifts, pleased as he hastily responds.

The apartment, a home issued to Shaxx from the Tower (a.k.a. he claimed it for himself when the Tower was built since he helped build it), is a lot cozier than Shiro had initially assumed. He doesn't know why but he expects something almost _medieval_ , as though the man is nothing but a swordsmith and gladiatorial overseer even outside of his job.

His sensors give him a scent of spicy cinnamon, something that's simply very  _Shaxx-like_ , something that seems to relax him nowadays.

They start off on opposite sides of the couch, in close proximity but nothing that Shiro would consider  _intimate,_ but as they progress from movie to movie, Shiro finds himself drawing closer and closer to Shaxx, drawn in by the aura of warmth he literally radiates. Shaxx doesn't seem to notice him sidled up to his side, tucked under the crook of his arm as a City-favorite ends, signaling the start of another.

There's a shift in position halfway through the movie as Shaxx lays down, wrapping a massive arm around Shiro's waist, peering over the smaller Guardian's head in drowsy interest. As he settles, a low rumble echoes deep in his chest, coming up as a small sigh.

It's as Shiro is drifting off into recharge, lulled by quiet but cheerful music, that a final thought flies across his mind in perfect clarity.

_I am cuddling Shaxx right now. What the fu-_

* * *

Shaxx doesn't make it awkward in the morning. Neither does Shiro. Mostly because it wasn't.

Shiro wakes up first, face in Shaxx's chest; he tilts his head up, surprised to see that Shaxx is still asleep. Instead of wriggling out of the Titan's grip, he lays his head back down, still comfortable in the warmth that the giant heater of a man continually gives off.

Shaxx wakes up ten minutes later, shifting with an incoherent mumble before finally opening his eyes, blearily looking down at the Exo.

"Morning," he mumbles and Shiro brightens.

"Morning!" he chirps back, patting Shaxx on the cheek. "Have a good night's sleep?"

At that, Shaxx looks up and is almost immediately attacked by sunlight filtering through the window, causing him to squint before rolling onto his back with a groan.

"'s too early," Shaxx replies, screwing his eyes shut.

"It's..." a pause, "twelve in the afternoon, you're usually up by  _seven_."

"Shut up." They lay like that for at least another half-hour until Shaxx eventually moves, patting Shiro as he tells him to get up before Cayde breaks down the door with assumptions and accusations.

When they're fully armored and ready for the rest of the day, Shiro pauses as he clasps his cape around his shoulders, looking at Shaxx as he does the same to his pauldrons.

"D'you think we could do this again sometime?" he asks slowly, already making his way to the door. There's silence from Shaxx for a moment before he clears his throat and replies easily,

"Come over whenever you want, yeah?"

Something in Shiro's chest swells happily as he practically skips out the door.

* * *

They grow used to each other, eventually, setting aside time for little outings like these. Shiro doesn't know if he'd call them dates but it feels like it, he and Shaxx doing something as simple as patrolling together or walking around the streets of the City.

Confiding in each other's company, slipping into each other's routine so easily, it makes Shiro wonder why people made it seem like this kind of stuff had to be complicated.

They start holding hands after Shiro grabs Shaxx while pointing out something that had grabbed his interest.

"Check it out, I've never seen anything like that before!" he exclaims, leading Shaxx by the hand into the small store. Shaxx never said anything and they were still holding hands well by the time they leave, side-by-side.

It becomes normal, Shiro tugging Shaxx along and never letting go. Shaxx's hand well enough engulfs Shiro's but neither of them seem to mind. It's nice, they think separately, to be so close to someone.

Their first kiss is simple, almost nonchalant, as Shiro stands on a stack of crates to be eye-level with Shaxx (it's a lot of crates) and Shaxx still has to look down somewhat, chuckling as Shiro finishes adjusting his pauldrons. He leans down, giving Shiro a quick peck just below his left optic, saying quietly, "I'll be fine, stop fretting."

Shiro stares up at him, optics glowing brighter before he blinks, nodding, "Yeah, yeah, I won't, I guess I should be more worried about who you're gonna fight."

Shaxx's small smile widens ever so slightly at that.

When it becomes more common, Shiro comes up with his own ways to share the affection with his rapidly-becoming significant other, gently nudging him along with some silly generic sounds people had come up with for kissing to get the message across. He likes how it always causes Shaxx to laugh when he does that.

He likes how gentle Shaxx really is. Likes the warmth that he has. Likes the smiles and the laughter and the affection.

Yes, he likes Shaxx.

* * *

 

There have been so few times where Shiro has truly felt fear. He tallies up right now near the top.

An order had been called to escape the Last City as the Red Legion ravages it, had been called to abandon the Tower as Ghaul claims it.

The Hunter and Shaxx had fled down the Tower depths together to the edge of the Wall when the Red Legion sends a barrage upon them. The building collapses and Shiro thinks that this is the end.

Yet it isn't.

A soft violet glow surrounds him and Shaxx, a low dome that has Shiro laying beneath the curled Titan who holds up the Void shield with his back. He's straining, Shiro can tell by the wheezes that escape the Titan.

"Are you alright, Shiro?" Shaxx asks between breaths, shifting his feet into a more sturdy position.

"I'm fine, just hang in there, I'll call for reinforcements!" Shiro exclaims, cursing the brief tremor in his voice. He places a hand on Shaxx's opaque helm, thumb running over the black stripe in the center comfortingly as he switches the frequencies.

"We'll make it, Shiro," Shaxx manages, head tilting, voice soft. "I'll be fine."

"I know, rubble won't be enough to kill us even if you give out," Shiro murmurs, keeping his hand on Shaxx. "I love you, y'know? I love you  _so damn much_ I don't want to lose you..."

There's a wheezy laugh before Shaxx says without missing a beat, "I love you, too, Shiro, more than anything."

**Author's Note:**

> Again, shoutout to @lordshaxx on tumblr for inspiring me with their cool headcanons about Shaxx and cute ship with Shiro!


End file.
